Funny/jaw-dropping comments about homebirth (etc.) - Page 5

[faerierose]

When I told my mother I was having a homebirth with ds she got really freaked out. She blurts out "If they don't cut the cord fast enough your baby will die!" She really truly thought that if the cord is not cut within seconds of the birth that it would hurt the baby.

[ChristSavesAll]

Originally Posted by Chamsia

"]you wouldn't want someone who was well trained doing home-births"

That's funny cause I took it as...

Someone that skilled has got to deliver in the hospital, so we can all get in on the money action.

[Kidzaplenty]

:

[AirMiami]

These comments are great/sad. I haven't had a done it yet because I lived with my parents with my first baby, but when I get pregnant again, I'm going to aim for a homebirth. I'm sure I'm going to get a lot of eye rolling and silly comments, especially from all of my friends who had c-sections.

[fwlady]

This isn't totally related to HB, but I just thought of it, and it was quite funny. My father was born in the 30s. He has since passed away, about 10 yrs now, but this really tickled me.

We had been discussing whether or not my Dh would make it to the birth, since he did overnights twice a week at the time. (well, he does this again now, so who knows how that will turn out).

And, my 67yo Dad says (they always waited in the waiting room pacing right?), "no man should EVER see his wife in that position." Referring to giving birth, right? I am like, "Uhhh, well he is the one that put her in that position, and besides, isn't that the position he had her in when she got pregnant?" He wasn't one to shy away from a good s*x talk, but even this made him speechless. I TOTALLY think that men should see their wives give birth, if they want them to continue doing it. If that means holding their hand or being the gopher boy for what she wants and needs.

To me now, this includes catching their baby if he is willing, because it doesn't make sense that any man would want another man down by his wife's bare bottom. I don't get that part, with all the modesty and such, and all that goes out the window when a man has MD behind his name. LOL

My Dh didn't actually get to make it to that birth, and only got to see it on video, back when they used to be less wary of being sued. And, the next birth, he was none to happy about going. But, when it went so quickly, he seemed thrilled. LOL

Anyway....back to your regular scheduled programming. Enjoying this discussion. Kymberli

[caned & able]

Originally Posted by D'sMama

Why do so many people think you can get an epidural at home? I've gotten that too and had to suppress my laughter.

The Homefirst Practice in Chicago uses epidurals at home, very sparingly, though.

[Smokering]

The one I've heard a few times is "I'd hate to have a homebirth, think of cleaning up all that mess!" Last time, at SIL's baby shower, I giggled and said "You know, the midwives actually do the cleanup... they don't make a woman give birth and then get down on her hands and knees and scrub the floor!" Lightbulb moment.

I'm also slightly amused by MIL's differing reactions to SIL's birth centre birth and my (planned) homebirth (I ended up being induced for pre-e). I think she thinks birthing centres are somehow halfway to hospitals, with lots of equipment and such; whereas in fact our birthing centres are essentially just fancy hotels. Yet my homebirth would have been risky, while SIL's birth centre birth will be OK. I haven't let on, because I don't want her pressuring SIL into delivering at the hospital! (Because DH "would have died" without a hospital, because she stalled for a while at 7cm... ?? I did once try to explain that midwives don't actually sit and gape while you die of exhaustion, but... oh well.)

[CrunchyChristianMama]

I'm just preparing to hear every one of these comments from DH's grandma when we tell her our next one will be a homebirth. I already told DH that when we tell her he has to be there as well as my MIL because otherwise she will lambaste me as she has done about every parenting decision I have made as of yet. At least she doesn't know we don't vaccinate!

[Stephenie]

MIL: I wanted a homebirth, but I changed my mind and went to the hospital. Good thing too, because the cord was wrapped around his neck and he would have died.

DD did in fact, have the cord around her neck. I am pretty sure she's not dead

At a party, someone asked us where dd was born and when we told them at home they just stared at us uncomfortably for a minute. Eventually DH just started talking about how great it was while they looked at their feet.

People tell me how brave I am. I tell them I had her at home to avoid the hospital

[LemonPie]

Originally Posted by DocsNemesis

Oh, and I had a cesarean with my last one. When my friend heard, her response was "its so much easier, isnt it!," like I'd finally understand. She was rather taken aback when I said heck no!! I never want another one of those again! Sorry but I'd take labor and pushing over several weeks of recovery from major surgery any day!

I haven't had a HB (yet) but #2 was a hospital NCB and #3 was an emergency c-section (placental abruption). I can't believe how many comments I got from women who thought the c-section was sooo much better than their vaginal births (or attempted vaginal births). I think most of them had been induced or at least augmented though.

With #3 I wanted a homebirth but just never felt good about it, so we'd planned to go to the hospital. But I fantasized the entire time about an accidental UC (until my water broke at home in the middle of the night and I was hemorrhaging). I shared this dream with my DH --who was really pushing for a midwife assisted HB AND who is a physician--and he was a little alarmed. His concern had to do with dealing with the cord and the afterbirth. I was like, "Uh. . . we have kitchen shears and mixing bowls. We'd manage!"

[stealthmode]

Disclaimer: We're planning a hospital birth for our first due to our living situation and the lack of birth centers here, but I'm hoping for a HB with our next one.

Anyway, my good friend was in town last weekend and we went to visit her cousin, who has two toddlers. Of course we got on the subject of birth. Somehow HB came up, and she actually said, "I think that is so wrong. When those women wind up with dead babies, I don't think manslaughter is a strong enough charge."

Even my mainstream friend didn't quite know what to say to that.

:

[Belle]

Originally Posted by stealthmode

Anyway, my good friend was in town last weekend and we went to visit her cousin, who has two toddlers. Of course we got on the subject of birth. Somehow HB came up, and she actually said, "I think that is so wrong. When those women wind up with dead babies, I don't think manslaughter is a strong enough charge."

I wonder what she thinks people should be charged when someone is unfortunate enough to loose a baby in the hospital. Sadly enough, birth loss does happen sometimes. It doesn't mean the parents are at fault for their choice of birth location.

[darcytrue]

Great thread! I've had two c-sects so far and am expecting a third next month. I know I'll never have a HB but I love to tell people in my family and friends IRL about the people I know that do have HB, especially UAC I love to see the expressions on their faces.

I SO wish I would have atleast had a natural birth in a hospital. I have even mentioned to some family members that I'd like to try for VBA3C and they comment that it would be wrong and very dangerous. How could they possibly know that? I'm not someone else...I'm me. I know my body better now and I believe I could do it.

[MittensKittens]

Originally Posted by belle

i said "i went into labor, the midwives came out, the baby was born, the midwives went home".

:d :d :d

[Awaken]

I've had a lot of comments, having had a birth center birth and then an unplanned UC/planned homebirth and now having another HB.

First of all, "I hope you don't plan to have it in water, the baby could drown!"

Everyone pretty much said after the baby came before the midwife "how did your husband know what to DO??? Wasn't he terrified?" Well, stand there and watched the baby come out and me hold it on my chest and be happy it was crying and breathing. What really is there to DO? And "how did you know what to do without the midwife?" the baby pushed his way out, there wasn't really much for me to do but pick it up and hold it!

Lots of "you're so brave" comments- a heck of a lot less brave than it takes to voluntarily subject oneself and one's baby to what goes on in hospitals!

[Awaken]

Oh wait, I forgot this one from last week. In my prenatal yoga class, my teacher is very pro-homebirth, natural birth, and midwifery and usually says something about it at the beginning of class. One woman who assured us that she KNEW because her dad is a high risk OB, said midwives weren't safe to use b/c she had a friend who had a miscarriage at 7 months and she was under the care of midwives Like no one's ever lost a baby who is cared for by an OB or has their baby in a hospital??

[Storm Bride]

Originally Posted by ColwynsMommy

Clerk: Yeah. I was wondering, though.. what do they do with the placenta?

Me: Um.. well, some people bury it in the yard. Or you can just throw it away. Some people even eat it.

Clerk: No, no.. what I mean is, shouldn't they, like.. bring it in, so we know that they gave birth?

Me: Um..

Bureaucratic ideas of proof make my head spin. When I applied for my maternity leave with ds1, the clerk told me I needed to bring in a signed note from my doctor, confirming that I was pregnant. I was 8 months along, and sitting across from her, with my belly doing gymnastics that she could see from across the desk!! That wasn't "proof", but a typed line or two on a doctor's letterhead, with an illegible signature was??

It all boggles my mind...but the idea of carting placentas down to City Hall (or wherever) is really out there.

[Turquesa]

Originally Posted by Awaken

Oh wait, I forgot this one from last week. In my prenatal yoga class, my teacher is very pro-homebirth, natural birth, and midwifery and usually says something about it at the beginning of class. One woman who assured us that she KNEW because her dad is a high risk OB, said midwives weren't safe to use b/c she had a friend who had a miscarriage at 7 months and she was under the care of midwives Like no one's ever lost a baby who is cared for by an OB or has their baby in a hospital??

Yep. I'm sure the MWs caused it, too, by giving her one of their voo-doo, backwoods, pagan herbs.

[mntnmom]

The comments I got mostly involved epidurals or clean up. But I wanted to weigh in on the cord around neck issue. I know sometimes it is an issue, but with our homebirth, my HUSBAND, who has nothing more that spectator birth experience, flipped the cord over ds's head as he was born. It's normally not a big deal.

[Juvysen]

When I told my dad i was thinking about a homebirth he said "oh, no! That's very DANGEROUS!" Because clearly he had done a lot of research on it Soooo, I didn't mention where we were having the baby and when we called 30 minutes after he was born it was from our home phone. They called back the next day and said "uh, were you HOME when you called us? It looked like your home phone on the caller id..." and I said "well, yeah, it was!" And my dad was like "huh?" So I said "well, I had the baby at home" he was completely dumbfounded - just sort of blankly repeated what I said.